Here Without You
by willgirl
Summary: A relevation causes Brennan to deal with a difficult situation in her life. EPILOGUE IS UP!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay so I have been diligently trying to write the chapters for my other two stories but this wouldn't leave me alone. So I hope that in posting it, I will now be able to focus on my other stories! Here is the short prologue. Thanks to Hart for the title!**

The squints were milling about on the platform, each trying to avoid work in their own unique way. Even Cam was looking bored. It had been seven and a half weeks since Booth had been away on his undercover assignment. And although they had a few cases with another agent, it just wasn't the same.

The only one who was still busy was Brennan, but she never got tired. Besides as Angela had observed, she had been working more and more since Booth had left. And she was sleeping less and less. Brennan was currently in her office typing up a report when Cullen and another agent walked in.

Angela looked up from the computer she was at and immediately frowned. She couldn't recall Cullen ever being to the lab before, there must be something wrong with Booth. Panic struck her as she glanced over at the office at her best friend, still diligently working away. If something happened to Booth, she wouldn't know how to take it.

"Excuse me?" Cullen said, causing all the squints to look up. "Is Dr. Brennan in her office?"

"What's going on? Where's Booth?" Angela asked frantically.

"Angela, I really should speak with Dr. Brennan." Cullen replied grimly.

"Speak with me about what?" Brennan said, coming out of her office.

"Can we speak in private?" Cullen asked.

"No. If its about Booth, then they have the right to know too." Brennan replied.

"Well…uh…" Cullen stumbled. Brennan immediately knew something happened. As unusual as it was to see Cullen in the lab, him stumbling over words was something she had never seen before.

"Agent Booth was killed this morning while undercover assignment." Cullen stated.

"Oh god." Angela said, putting her hand over her mouth and sinking down into a stool. Everyone had gasped except for Brennan. She didn't move a muscle.

"I want to see the body." She said calmly.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan, it's against the rules." Cullen replied.

"I want to see the body." She repeated coldly, fists clenched at her sides.

"Look Dr. Brennan, you're his partner, not his…"

"Wife?" she replied, reaching into her pocket and holding out a piece of paper to him.

It looked suspiciously like a marriage certificate.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! Here is the next chapter! Thank you to all the readers and reviewers, I was overwhelmed! I am hoping to have another chap up tonight or early tomorrow morning!**

**11 months earlier.**

Brennan took another look in the mirror and smoothed down her shirt. She was nervous and she didn't know why. Well actually she did know why. She was going on a date with Booth.

They had been circling around this issue forever when this morning he just came out with it, like a excited little kid. She chuckled as she remembered how nervous he was asking her out, but she had responded and he told her he would pick her up tonight.

She had no idea what they were doing, which made the outfit picking more difficult. All he said was to be comfortable and don't eat dinner. She had ended up wearing a fitted burgundy top and her favourite pair of jeans. She paired it with one of her favourite necklaces and she was ready to go.

Glancing at her watch, she realized it was almost time. Checking her makeup once more, she made her way into the living room, grabbed her purse and sat on the couch and waited.

As the clock ticked loudly, she though about why she had said yes to him. Her concerns about them developing a relationship were still valid, she most definitely did not want to lose him as a partner. But after Sully left, their relationship changed. Actually it didn't change so much as she realized things about their relationship. Like how Booth was always there for her and never broke a promise. Throughout her father's trial he had been there, sitting with her during the day and bringing her Wong Foo's at night.

A knock at the door brought her out of her reverie. She took a deep breath, headed for the door and opened it.

There was Seeley Booth, in tight jeans and a t-shirt with a band she didn't recognize and a white lily in his hand. God, he was handsome.

"Hi." He said softly. Almost reverently, she thought as she moved out of the way to let him in. "For you."

She took the flower from him and smiled. She rarely got flowers but he seemed to know that she would like the simple ones the best.

"Let me just…" she trailed off as she moved towards the kitchen. Grabbing a vase and putting the flower in, she could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. 'Calm down.' She thought to herself. 'It's just a date.'

"So," she said, entering the room. "Shall we go?"

He nodded and they made their way out of her apartment and down to the car.

"So…" he said nervously as they drove away.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing I was just…"

"Where are we going?"

"Now that's a secret, Bones!" Booth replied, tossing her his charm smile.

She turned away and looked out the window, hoping he wouldn't see her blush. That damn charm smile got her every time.

"Well I hope we are going to someplace that has food."

"Most definitely." He replied.

The spent the rest of the relatively short car ride talking about this and that and soon their nervous, first date personas were shedded and they were Booth and Bones again.

The car pulled to a stop and she peered out the window, trying to see where they were. Unfortunately it had already gotten dark so she couldn't see much. They were in a park of some kind, that was for sure.

"Come on." He said, unbuckling he seat belt and getting out of the car.

She followed and noticed how many stars were out tonight. As she rounded to the end of the car, she saw him lifting several things out of the trunk, including a basket which contained some enticing smells.

"Dinner?" she questioned, pointing to the basket.

"You know it." He replied grinning. "It's this way."

The walked along what she thought was a trail for about five minutes until they reached a hill. Making their way up the hill, she felt his hand slip into hers and her whole body tingled. Despite the logical side of her mind chastising her for acting like a school girl, the rest of her liked it.

Finally they made their way to the top of the hill. She watched as he spread out a blanket, pulled out a few camping torches and then unpacked a delicious array of food. She was overwhelmed, almost to the point of tears. Nobody had ever done anything like this for her before.

They ate silently, both gazing up at the stars, each both highly aware of the person sitting next to them.

"Thank you." She said finally.

"You're welcome." He replied.

"Nobody's ever…I mean why did you do all of this?"

"Because…its…we're us you know?" Booth said, shifting closer to her on the blanket. "I just wanted to make sure it started out right."

"It's perfect." She breathed. "So thank you."

"Thank you for agreeing to come." He said seriously.

She turned to look at him, all of the sudden conscious that their heads were only a few inches apart.

"Well I wanted to give us a chance." She said honestly.

"Okay then." He said quietly. "Temperance, could I kiss you now?"

His request coupled with the use of her first name left her wordless and all she could do was nod as his mouth moved closer to hers.

And then they kissed. And although she wasn't one to believe in fireworks, she knew at that very moment that she was his. And he was hers forever.


	3. Chapter 3

"Excuse me?" Cullen asked, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Yeah, what?" Angela shouted from behind her.

She unfolded the piece of paper and walked down the steps towards Cullen. Handing it to him, she watched as he read over it several times.

"This is dated for May 2nd. That's three days before Booth went undercover."

She nodded.

"Am I to believe that you married your partner of almost three years on a whim three days before he went undercover?" Cullen asked sceptically.

"We have been dating for eleven months." She replied.

"Well….um…we need to talk privately."

She nodded and gestured towards her office, ignoring the shocked looks on all of her friend's faces. Once inside, Cullen took a seat and handed her back the certificate which she promptly stuck back in her lab coat.

"We have a situation, Dr. Brennan." Cullen stated.

"Booth's not dead." She replied simply.

"You're right, he's not." Cullen said. "However…"

"I know the drill." She interrupted. "Booth explained the whole thing to me. Organizing the funeral, making it look like he actually died. I'm assuming you won't tell me anything about the case."

Cullen shook his head.

"Booth wouldn't either." She noted. "Is he at least….he's okay right?" A slight quiver in her voice betrayed her calm demeanour.

"Well that's the thing." Cullen stated. "We know he's alive but we haven't heard from him in a few days. That's why it is important for people to think he's dead."

She nodded. Booth had told her what was going to happen but she still felt as if it was real.

"As for the arrangements…"

"Cremated right?" she asked.

"Booth really did tell you everything." Cullen noted. "He shouldn't have, in fact he should be reprimanded for that."

"Booth did what he thought was necessary." She replied. "He hasn't been on a deep undercover assignment like this since before we were partners. It was only logical to assume that things could go wrong. And yes he shouldn't have told me but I'm glad he did."

"May I ask why Booth and yourself did not divulge your personal relationship?" Cullen asked.

"You would split us up." She stated. "We are a good team. Our personal relationship does not affect our work in any way."

"Right. Well, I will be in touch. I hope I can trust you to not tell anyone about this, including your colleagues out there?"

She nodded. As much as it pained her to continue lying to them, she knew the truth could put Booth in danger.

"Well then. Thank you, Dr. Brennan." Cullen said, heading out the door.

She sighed and put her head in her hands. She knew this was coming. She felt the situation worsen as the weeks went by.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the folded marriage certificate and smiled. It was the one thing she had that was proof of their marriage; there hadn't even been time to exchange rings. Not that she minded. As she told Booth later that night in bed, rings were just a visual way of marking your spouse as territory. He had laughed and told her he was going to buy her a diamond anyway.

She felt the tears well up in her eyes and forced them back. She missed him, so much that her heart ached. Since they had started dating, they had been inseparable. Always careful about their personal relationship at work, they spent their nights together doing what normal couples do. Surprisingly, that's what they were, a normal couple. There was no drama as she had always suspected there would be although there was plenty of passion.

And in the weeks since he had been gone, she felt his absence painfully in all aspects of her life. She had taken to sleeping in his apartment, just to be near his things. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against her chair and let an image of Booth wash over her. She was thinking of his smile when a knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Bren?"

She looked up and saw Angela at the door, a worried expression on her face.

She sighed. "Yes."

"What's going on? Booth's not really….is he?"

'Here we go.' She thought to herself. "Yeah he is, Ange." She said softly.

Angela let out a short, toneless cry and sat on the couch.

"But…I don't understand…"

The look of grief on her friends face was too much to bear. She stood up quickly and peeled off her lab coat, taking the certificate and tucking into her pants pocket.

"Ange…I have to go."

"Wait!" Angela said. "Married?"

She paused, unsure about how to begin.

"Booth asked me on a date eleven months ago. And I said yes. We started dating and Angela I wanted to tell you but we were afraid that we would get split up and we weren't ready for that. Then this undercover assignment came up and Booth said that if anything happened to him, I wouldn't have any rights. I wouldn't even get to see the body. And so we got married."

"Oh sweetie." Angela said sorrowfully, rising from the couch and enveloping her in a hug.

A solitary tear escaped and she pulled back before more fell.

"Angela I have to go. I can't do this right now."

Angela nodded and stood aside as she left the office and made her way to the platform where the other squints were. Both Hodgins and Zach were standing perfectly still, as if they were afraid to move, lest it all became real.

"Cam, I need to take some time off."

Cam nodded and Brennan noticed that she was pale and her eyes were glassy.

"Take as much time as you need Dr. Brennan."

She made her way down the steps and out the door. Crossing the parking lot, she made it to the inside of Booth's SUV that she had been driving for the past two months, before she burst into tears.

He wasn't dead.

But it felt like her heart was being ripped out anyway.

* * *

**See, you can all take a deep breath! Booth's not dead! I am having some wisdom teeth surgery so I will be out of commission for the next few days but as soon as I'm recovered I will have a chap for you! Thanks to all my reviewers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey Everyone! Here's the next chap, I hope it makes sense; I am on painkillers right now! Thanks to everyone who wished me good luck on the teeth. It's not too bad, just annoying cuz I can't eat solid food! Oh well, can't go wrong with ice cream! Thanks to all my reviewers! I can't believe I have 28 reviews already!**

**8 weeks earlier.**

Juggling the wine and the food, she made her way to his apartment door, thinking about what she wanted to propose. It was a big step but she was sure they were ready for it.

Kicking the door with her foot, she waited until he heard his footsteps grown nearer. The door opened and immediately grabbed the food from her.

"Hey." He said, carrying the food into the kitchen. She shut the door, placed the bottle of wine on the coffee table and stood with her hands on her hips.

He walked back out into the living room and saw her standing there. "What?" he asked.

"Is that how you say hello to your girlfriend?" she replied.

A devilish smile crossed his lips and in two strides he had made it across the room and pulled her into his arms. She melted against him as always, her hands running down the expanse of his chest while his were fisted in her hair. Finally they parted, both seeing the mutual desire in each other's eyes.

"Whaddya say we eat later?" she said huskily.

"Um…actually, there's something we need to talk about." He said, pulling away from her.

Immediately her heart began to pound rapidly as she followed him into the kitchen. So many thoughts went through her head that she began to feel dizzy. Sitting down at the kitchen table, she watched as he unpacked the food and set it on two plates, carrying it over to where she sat.

"What is it?" she said, not touching the food on her plate.

He sighed. "Cullen's sending me undercover."

"So you're….you're not breaking up with me?"

"Breaking up with you… what?" he said incredulously, moving his chair closer to hers.

"I don't know, I just thought…" she said, stumbling over her words.

He reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. "I would never do that, you know that right? It's me and you forever, you know?"

She nodded. "So what's going on with this undercover assignment?" she said, shifting topics.

"I can't tell you much just that I have to leave in four days and….I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Meaning I could be gone for a long time, anywhere from a month to a year."

"A year?" she said frantically. "What about us? We're partners."

"I know." He replied. "But Cullen seems to think I'm the man for the job."

"You didn't turn it down?" she asked, realizing how ridiculous her words sounded as they came out of her mouth. She probably wouldn't turn down a job for him; he couldn't be expected to do the same.

"No, I didn't."

"Four days." She said softly. "That's not a lot of time."

"I know." He said. "And there's more. With some undercover situations, things can happen."

"Like what?" she asked, feeling a wave of fear in the pit of her stomach.

"I could be killed or my death could be faked."

"I'll just ask to see your body." She said decisively. "That way I'll know."

"They won't show it to you. You're just my partner, remember?" he replied. "But…"

"But what?"

"But if we got married, then you would have legal rights. Then you would know the truth and you could tell Parker. If I'm not really dead, I don't want someone to tell him so and then have me suddenly reappear. It's not fair to him. I know it's against the rules, I shouldn't even be telling you this but…"

"You want to get married?" she asked.

"I know its way too soon." He rambled. "I wasn't planning on asking you for a while, I mean it's only been nine months right? And I know you don't want to get married at all so I completely understand."

"You were going to ask me?"

"Well…" he said nervously. "Eventually yes. I mean this is not how I expected it to happen."

She chuckled softly. "And here I was about to suggest us living together."

He smiled and leaned over, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "I love you, you know that right? And I also need you to know that I'm in this all the way. And whether we get married now or later or not at all, I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Me too." She replied, blinking back tears. "We should do it."

"What?" he said, looking stunned. He never thought she would agree.

"Logically it makes sense. If something happens to you, we would have to be legally bound in order for me to have any rights."

"It's more than that you know." He said.

"I know." She replied softly, moving into his lap. "I know it's much more than that. And while it's not important to me, it's important to you. And I love you."

"I love you too." He replied.

"Can we even get married in four days?" she asked.

"We will go to City Hall tomorrow and find out. I'm sure I can pull some strings."

"So technically this could be the night before our wedding." She noted. "Aren't we not allowed to see each other?" She moved off his lap and back on to her own chair.

He shot her a smouldering look. "I think we can bend the rules. I mean it is our wedding after all." And with that he scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Present time**

She lay on his bed, fingering the marriage certificate in her hand once more. It had been folded and unfolded so many times in the last eight weeks that it was starting to look shabby.

She had remembered how he had come and got her in the middle of the day, supposedly dragging her off for lunch when in actual fact they made their way to city hall to be married. How it still seemed right despite the fact that it was just the two of them in a government office.

They had promised each other that their secret would come out as soon as he got back from being undercover.

And she remembered how the morning he left; he had sat on the edge of the bed and pressed his lips against hers, promising to come back, and whispering words of love into her ears. He kissed away her tears and then he was gone and she was alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, here we go! The next chapter of the story! I hope you enjoy! By the way, I doubt the person who does the headstone is called the headstone carver but I didn't know any other name! Any suggestions are appreciated! **

She decided to make the most difficult call first. She was sitting at the kitchen table, Booths' address book in hand getting ready to make some of the hardest calls of her life. She had rehearsed her speech over and over again but still it felt wrong. She was feeling exhausted already and she hadn't begun. What was it going to be like when Booth really dies?

Banishing the thought from her head, she dialled the number and waited for the person to pick up.

"Hello, Rebecca? It's Temperance Brennan, Booth's partner. I…I need to tell you something."

She paused to take a breath as she heard Rebecca respond.

"Some of this is going to be difficult to hear. Booth and I have been involved romantically for the past eleven months. And before Booth went undercover, we….we got married."

She pulled the phone slightly away from her ear as Rebecca loudly vocalized her surprise.

"I know, it was sudden but its what we both wanted."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me, it really does."

Now came the hard part. She took a deep breath and continued forward.

"I have something else to tell you. I just received news that Booth has been…has been killed."

Hearing Rebecca's gasp caused tears to come to the surface. She had dozens and dozens of calls to make and she knew each one would be like this. She waited for Rebecca to calm down before she continued.

"I was wondering if you let me tell Parker. Booth told me some things that he wanted Parker to know before he left, in case this happened and I would really like to tell him."

This part wasn't a lie.

She listened to Rebecca cry and then finally agree to bring by Parker after school. Finally she hung up and stared at the phone in front of her.

Next on her list was Booth's parents. She didn't even want to think about how they would react. And what about when Booth came back alive? Would they be mad at her for telling them a lie? Of course they would.

'You are keeping Booth safe.' She thought to herself.

Her eyes were drawn to a picture on one of his shelves and she pushed herself away from the table and walked over to examine it. It was the two of them, goofing around as usual when Booth pulled out a camera. He had aimed it towards them and then, right before the flash went off, he turned and planted a kiss on her cheek.

As she touched the photograph with her finger, a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Seeley." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Turning away, she looked back at the phone. Now was the time to be strong. She couldn't go find him and save him but she could do what he asked.

Sitting back down at the kitchen table, she began to dial his parents number.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Almost two and a half hours later, she was done and thoroughly exhausted. The phone call to Booth's parents was the worst; it was all she could do to stop herself from hanging up so that she wouldn't have to hear his mother's sobbing anymore. When she had explained about the marriage, they had seemed confused and even more confused at the fact that she was planning the funeral. But she'd finally gotten through to them and they understood.

Her phone calls to the church, cemetery, headstone carver and florists were interspersed by phone calls from Angela, asking her how she was. She had to hold Angela off from coming over, citing Parker as an excuse.

Glancing at the clock, she realized Parker would be there soon. Heading into the living room with her tea, she sat down on the couch and pondered how best to make Parker understand what she was about to tell him. Your father's pretending to be dead but he's not? Oh but he is missing so its possible that he is dead?

A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts and she got up and walked over to the door. 'Here we go.' She thought to herself and she opened the door.

"Hi Dr. Bones!" Parker said, launching himself at her legs.

"Hi Parker." She replied. Clearly, he hadn't noticed his mother's sombre mood. "Why don't you go inside and I will talk to your mom for a second okay?"

"Okay." Parker said, running towards his bedroom.

"I…I was wondering if he could stay the night with you." Rebecca said.

She saw Rebecca's red, puffy eyes and a flash of guilt went through her.

"Of course. He can stay as long as you need."

Rebecca nodded and then pulled Brennan into a hug. She was surprised but hugged Rebecca back.

"When's the funeral?"

"Next Tuesday." She replied. "It would be earlier but I have to arrange things with the military."

"I understand." Rebecca said. "Well I will call you tomorrow about picking up Parker. And I'm so sorry Dr. Brennan."

She could do nothing but nod and watch Rebecca leave. Now came the hard part.

"Parker?" she called into the apartment.

"Whaddya wanna play?" Parker said, running out of his room.

"Actually I thought we could go to Wong Foo's for dinner."

"Yeah!" he said, jumping up and down excitingly.

"But first I have something important to tell you about your dad okay?"

Parker nodded and she sat on the couch with him next to her.

"Okay well you know how your daddy is away right?"

"He's fighting the bad guys." Parker said.

"You're right. He's fighting the bad guys. Well in order to do this, he couldn't let the bad guys know who he was right?"

"Of course not, Dr. Bones." Parker replied.

"Well, one of the bad guys found out who he was and your dad was in trouble. In order to catch them, he has to pretend something."

"Pretend what?"

"Well, he has to pretend that he's dead." She said quietly.

"But he's not right?" Parker asked, his wide brown eyes staring up at her.

"No he's not, he's still trying to catch the bad guys. But he needs our help. To give your dad more time to catch the bad guys, we have to help him pretend that he is dead, even though you and I know he isn't. That means that everyone else, even your mom thinks that he is."

"Like a secret?" Parker asked.

"Yes, exactly. We have to keep it a secret." She replied. "Do you think you can do that?"

Parker nodded. "I'm good at keeping secrets, Dr.Bones. Once Daddy catches the bad guys, then he can come home right?"

"Right." She said softly, her eyes welling with tears again.

"Don't cry, Dr. Bones, Daddy will come back soon." Parker said, moving into her lap.

She put her arms around him and kissed the top of his curls.

"Your daddy loves you very, very much, did you know that?"

Parker nodded against her chest. "He loves you too Dr. Bones."

She was taken aback by his words and her curiosity got the better of her.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Daddy told me." Parker simply.

"When?"

"At Thanksgiving, we were sitting at the table and Daddy 'splained to me that you should pray to God and tell him that you are thankful for the people you love. And he said that he loved me and he loved you."

She squeezed Parker tighter. "So, do you still want to go to Wong Foo's?"

"Yeah." Parker said, leaping off her lap and heading to the door to put his shoes on.

Heading to grab her keys, she stopped in front of the picture once more. She wondered if it was this admission of love at the Thanksgiving dinner table that prompted him to ask her out a week later.

Grabbing her coat and slipping on her shoes, she followed Parker out the door, all the while thinking 'I love you too Seeley, I love you too.'


	6. Chapter 6

The silence of the lab was comforting. It was five-thirty am so of course no one was here except the night guards. She had taken to coming in early to complete her work and then leaving before the others got in. She couldn't sleep anyway and work provided her with some semblance of normality in the last week.

But today was different. No matter how hard she tried, work wasn't distracting her from the fact that it was Booth's funeral. It didn't matter that it was fake, images of his death flashed through her mind.

That being said, she knew unequivocally that he wasn't dead. She felt it in her gut so strongly that he would have made fun of her if he knew. She had called Cullen several times over the last few days and all he could report was that Booth was still missing. But she knew there was something else she wasn't being told.

She had received more pity looks, condolences, cards and flowers in the last five days then she ever wanted in her life. She ached at the thought of so many people being deceived. She wanted to tell Angela the most; Angela who had been so kind and made sure she ate and called people for her. She realized that she often took Angela for granted.

Looking down at the skeleton in front of her, she sighed. She needed Booth. It had been too long since his arms were around her, she craved them. Desperately wanted his touch once more.

She shook her head and tried to focus on the task she came in to do. After several minutes however, she gave up and packed the bones away, heading back to her apartment to get ready for the day.

She ended up in front of his instead. She tried to distance herself from this place in the last few days but she always ended up here, cooking in his kitchen and sleeping in his bed. Wearily, she got out of the car and trudged upstairs. Dropping her keys on the coffee table, she made her way into the bedroom. She quickly stripped and headed into the bathroom and turned the shower on, letting the hot water pour over her.

She thought of him. How he smiled at her in the mornings, his hair sticking up all over the place. When he made her pancakes that time she was upset about her family. Memories assaulted her; them at the zoo with Parker, kissing in the gazebo in the rain, the Egypt exhibit she dragged him to many months before.

She forced back tears as she continued to shower. She wasn't going to cry today. Crying made it real and she knew this wasn't real. They could call her cold for all she cared, it didn't matter. It just couldn't be real.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. Now was the time to be brave.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The church was packed. All of Booth's family were there plus his old army buddies and various other friends and people he had known in his lifetime. She sat in the front row, Booth's parents on one side, and Angela, Hodgins and Zach on the other. She listened to the service impassively, trying desperately to ignore the soft sobbing of both Booth's mother and Angela.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of blond curl and then all of the sudden Parker was in front of her looking at her questioningly. She didn't hesitate, just scooped him up and sat him on her lap, letting him snuggle into her as the service continued.

When it was over, everyone made their way to Wong Foo's while the family headed to the cemetery for the burial. It was drizzling, the grey day indicative of everyone's moods.

The priest said a few words and then the ashes of Seeley Booth were placed in the memorial wall along with a rose from his mother.

"Mrs. Booth?"

She looked up, realizing that the soldier was talking to her.

"This is for you." He said, holding out the crisp, folded American flag.

She looked down at it and then back up at him. She was struck with the image of Booth dead and she started shaking her head.

"No." she said. "I don't want it."

She couldn't take the flag, didn't want any reminders of what happened today.

"I'm sorry?" the soldier said, looking confused.

"I don't want it." She said more firmly.

"Sweetie." Angela said, grasping her arm.

"No Ange, I don't want it. I don't want to do this."

The events of the day were catching up with her and she found her heart pounding rapidly.

"Please, Booth." She said softly.

She needed him here with her. He belonged to her just like she belonged to him. It was only him, it would only ever be him and she was foolish to believe otherwise for so long.

She didn't see the soldier hand the flag to Booth's mother and the people start to move away from the memorial. She reached out and touched the engraving on the wall.

'Seeley Booth, beloved father, husband and son.'

The rain came down steadily now, but she could barely feel it. She blocked out the sounds around her and shut her eyes and thought about him.

'He's not dead, he's not dead.' She thought over and over.

The logical side of her mind argued that she wouldn't be able to know whether he was alive or not. There is no such indicator in the body that can predict something like this. But she knew he wasn't, she could feel it. He wouldn't leave her. Not like this.

It was the waiting and the uncertainty that bothered her. She wanted to know if he was safe, Cullen wouldn't even tell her that. She need to know when he was coming back. If there was a specific time then she would be alright, but this black hole of waiting was killing her.

"Come on, Bren, let's go." Angela said, tugging at her sleeve.

She shook her head softly, not tearing her eyes away from the engraving. "I'll meet you there."

"Please, Bren." Angela pleaded.

"Later." She said softly.

Finally everyone headed towards the cars, leaving her by herself. Suddenly she knew what she wanted to do, who she wanted to talk to. Turning, she made her way across the cemetery to a familiar grave.

She stood in front of it and suddenly the tears that she had been holding back all day came down, mixing with the rain that was steadily coming down.

"Hi Mom…."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Angela watched as her friend headed off across the cemetery and her heart broke. She couldn't stand watching the pain Brennan was in, she couldn't even imagine what she would be like if something ever happened to Jack.

"Where is she going?" Booth's father asked her.

"To see her mother." She replied. "She said she would meet us at Wong Foo's."

"What is this place?" he asked.

"It was their favourite restaurant." She replied, turning to get into the car.

Suddenly, a car came racing through the parking lot and pulled up beside them. Angela's mouth dropped as a ghost got out and headed towards her.

"Angela, where is she?" Booth asked, trying to catch his breath.

* * *

A/N: Wow! I didn't even see that coming and I'm writing the damn thing! Thanks to everyone for their fantastic reviews! 


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello All! Here is the next chapter, I am soo sorry that it is delayed! Bad week at work! I am exacting this revenge by writing and posting this chap at work! More bad news however, I am being forced into family vacation until the 13th of August! No internet or anything! (I think I just vomited a little in my mouth)**

**Hopefully I will have some time to do some writing and I will post lots when I get back.**

**Without further adieu, here is the story!**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What…I…you…." Angela stuttered.

"Seeley, is that you?"

Booth turned and looked into the red rimmed eyes of his mother.

"Yeah Mom, it's me."

He was pulled into a crushing hug, his mother sobbing tears of joy.

"What's going on? I don't understand." She said.

Booth pulled away. "There was an undercover assignment and my position got compromised. I had to pretend that I was dead in order to…well it's confidential, I can't really get into it."

"Son, its so good….we thought…" Booth's father said, pulling him into a hug.

"I'm sorry Dad, it just had to happen this way." Booth said.

"So was the marriage a fake too?" his father asked.

"Absolutely not." Booth replied. "She's here right?" he said, turning to Angela.

Angela nodded, unable to speak.

"Please Angela, I need to see her." He said urgently. "Where did she go?"

Angela turned in the direction of Christine Brennan's grave and saw her friend coming over the hill.

"She's right there."

Booth looked and his breath hitched at the sight of her. He was running before he even registered it.

"Temperance." He shouted, his words lost in the wind that swirled around him.

He stopped suddenly and cupped his hands over his mouth.

"Bones!" he shouted.

She whipped her head around in surprise. He was there, standing 25 feet away. She shook her head and blinked, thinking that it was a dream. But when she opened her eyes again, he was still there.

She moved towards him and soon they were both running again and then they crashed into each other, like waves hitting the shore.

"Booth, Booth" she repeated, her face buried in his neck and her arms tight around him as if she was never going to let him go.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I won't leave again, I promise." He said fervently as he stroked her hair.

Pulling apart, he looked her in the eyes.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." She replied. And then his lips came crashing down on hers and her arms went around his neck. Pouring all of their emotions into that kiss, they both felt it radiate through every part of their body.

They pulled apart, panting, but it was only a second before her lips were on his again and then she began peppering kisses all over his face.

He laughed, for the first time in a long time and soon they were both chuckling as he picked her up off the ground and swung her around.

"I missed you so much." She said softly.

"I missed you too." He replied, getting choked up. Never had he felt like this before, like he couldn't live properly unless she was there. Already the memories of his cold, lonely existence of the last two months were fading as she held him in her arms.

And, as if God agreed, the rain stopped and the clouds parted.

They stood there, drinking each other in, for goodness knows how long before they were startled by the ringing of her cell phone.

She flipped it open and answered.

"Brennan."

"Dr. Brennan? It's Rebecca. I just wanted to let you know that I think I am just going to take Parker home. It's been a hard day and…"

"No wait!" she interrupted. "Can you bring him by the cemetery?"

She saw Booth's eyes light up.

"It's really important. Just for a moment, please."

"Well I suppose. I will be there in a few minutes."

"Okay." She replied. "See you then."

Brennan hung up her phone and turned to Booth. "She's bringing by Parker."

"How did he take it?" he said worriedly.

"He understood." She replied. "We should go…" she gestured to the small group standing nearby.

"Right." He replied, taking her hand in his and leading her over to where everyone was.

"Hi guys." He said to Hodgins and Zach, who were both stunned by his appearance.

"Good to see you man." Hodgins grinned, clapping him on the back.

"Yes, I'm glad your back, Agent Booth." Zach said.

"I'm glad I'm back too." He replied. He really did miss the squints. He turned to his parents.

"I don't know if you have been formally introduced yet, but Mom, Dad, this is my wife, Dr. Temperance Brennan." He squeezed her hand for effect.

"Hi." She said shyly. "I….I wanted to apologize. I'm so sorry that I had to call you but it had to happen so that Booth's cover wouldn't be blown. "

"It's okay." Booth's father said. "Please call me James and this is my wife Stella."

She shook their hands. "It's nice to meet you."

A car door slammed and Booth looked towards the parking lot. There was nothing for a moment and then…

"Daddy!" Parker shouted, running towards him.

Booth let go of Brennan's hand and bent down, anticipating his hug.

Parker slammed into him and almost knocked him backwards.

"Hi Daddy!" Parker yelled.

"Hi Parker." He replied, blinking back the tears in his eyes.

"I don't understand."

He looked up and saw Rebecca there with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Rebecca, I was undercover, I…"

"How could you do that to him?" she said angrily.

"Wait." Brennan said, moving forwards. "You don't understand, Parker knew."

"What?"

"Parker knew that Booth wasn't dead. I told him last week."

"You told him?" Rebecca said confusedly.

"One of the reasons that Booth and I got married was so that I could tell Parker that he wasn't really dead if a situation like this occurred. We didn't want Parker to deal with that."

"I kept a good secret, didn't I, Dr. Bones?" Parker said, pulling away from Booth and standing in front of her.

She knelt down and brushed the curls out of his face.

"Yes you did."

"Don't cry, Dr. Bones" Parker said, seeing the tear tracks on her face. He cupped her cheeks with his small hands. "Daddy's back now so you can smile again."

She gave a soft smile. "Okay."

Parker turned back to Booth. "Now can we go to Wong Foos?"

Everyone chuckled.

"Everyone's at Wong Foos?" Booth asked.

"Yeah, I thought…" she trailed off.

He grinned. "Perfect! I've been dying for Sid's."

"We will have to go in first and explain." James said. "We'll meet you there."

Booth nodded and turned to Brennan. "Can I have the keys?"

She shook her head. "I'm driving."

"Yeah right." He smirked. "You've had the SUV for two months. Besides, you know that I always drive right?"

In a flash, he scooped her up into his arms and flipped her upside down.

"Seeley!" she shouted, as the keys fell out of her pocket and on to the ground.

He set her back down and grabbed the keys off the ground.

"Thanks." He said, giving her a short kiss on the lips.

"No fair." She grumbled.

And then he turned and flashed his charm smile at her and her heart pounded rapidly.

He was back.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So sorry for the lateness. I have been struck with insomnia for the past week which is why I am posting this at five in the morning. I hope you all enjoy and thank you once again to all the reviewers. I didn't think this short little story would take off like this! I think there maybe either one or two chapters left!**

As they headed to Wong Foo's, neither of them spoke. Finally, as they pulled into the parking lot, Brennan broke the silence.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?"

"You know I can't." he said, turning off the engine.

She nodded. There were a lot of secrets between them and she feared there always would be. He didn't like speaking about his days as a Ranger and she didn't like speaking about some of the things that had happened to her in various parts of the world.

"I want to tell you I just…"

"I yelled at Cullen." She interrupted.

He chuckled. "I figured you would."

"Do you think…..do you think they'll split us up?"

Booth looked over and saw the worry in her eyes.

"We're a good team. Cullen knows that." He said, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

"Booth, I…" she trailed off, overwhelmed by emotion. She missed him, so much that her heart ached. And that scared her. She never wanted someone so much like this before.

She unbuckled her seatbelt, tugged at his jacket and pulled him close, pressing her lips against his. She moaned as the kiss grew more heated and his hands made their way to her hips.

He pulled apart, flushed and shot her a grin. "Do we really have to go inside?"

She smiled and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Yes. It is your wake after all."

He undid his seatbelt and they got out of the car.

"We should wait until your parents come." She said, making her way over to his side. "They have to go explain, remember?"

"So why didn't we just continue doing what we were just doing?" he said cockily.

"Because, I didn't think it was appropriate to have everyone drive up and see us like that." She replied, hitting him lightly in the arm.

He just smiled and put his arm around her. She leaned into his embrace, breathing in his scent as if she couldn't get enough. She blinked furiously, trying to stop a tear, but it came anyway, followed by another and then another.

He heard her sniff and pulled back, seeing her tear streaked face.

"Bones, what…"

"I can't do this." She replied, backing away. "I can't…"

"What are you talking about?" he said. "Temperance, please talk to me."

The tears were flowing freely now and she continued to take small steps away from him.

"I can't.." She took a few short breaths. "You don't understand. I thought you weren't coming back."

"I don't…you knew…"

"But Cullen said you were missing and he wouldn't tell me and I thought you left me." She half-sobbed. "I can't go through this again. I can't have you leave me again. It hurts, Seeley it hurts too much."

In two quick strides he was in front of her, her face cupped within his hands. "Look at me Temperance. Open your eyes." He waited for her to respond and finally she did.

"I will never leave you. I promise."

"You can't promise that. No one can promise that." She said, shaking her head out of his grasp.

"I don't care." He said resolutely. "I don't care if its not possible, I promise anyway. I love you Temperance. I won't leave you."

She collapsed into him then, letting her anger and frustration and sadness pour out.

"Sshhh, I've got you." he said, stroking her hair softly.

Neither noticed the occupants of the recently parked vehicle heading towards them.

"Temperance?"

She pulled back and rested her forehead against his.

"We're okay right?" he asked.

"Yeah." She said softly. "We're okay."

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she moved back and saw Angela, Hodgins and Zach standing there.

"Sorry, we were just about to head in." Hodgins said lamely.

"It's okay." Booth said, as Brennan moved away, furiously wiping at her cheeks.

"Here sweetie." Angela said, holding out a tissue.

"Thanks, Ange."

"Why don't you come back to the car and I'll fix your makeup, okay?" Angela said.

She nodded. "I'll meet you in there." She said, squeezing Booth's arm.

She walked with Angela to the car and once they were settled in the backseat, Angela began rooting through her bag for makeup.

"Thank you for this Angela. I wasn't ready to go in there yet."

"Your welcome. Although I have to say I'm pretty mad at you right now."

"I'm sorry." Brennan said automatically. "I couldn't tell you about Booth being alive because…"

"That's not what I'm mad about." Angela said, dropping the makeup brush she was holding. "You two have been together for eleven months and you didn't tell me? I'm supposed to be your best friend."

"I'm sorry Ange. I wanted to tell you, I did. I just thought that saying it out loud would ruin it somehow. I know that sounds stupid, but it was so new at first and we wanted time to figure it out for ourselves. And then….I just got scared. I need you to understand. Booth is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and sometimes that scares me."

"It's okay Bren, I understand. I really do." Angela said, giving her a quick hug. "I just wish I could have been there for the wedding."

"I wish you could have been there too. You are my best friend and my family." She replied, the tears welling in her eyes once more.

"Well don't cry again." Angela admonished. "You'll just make it worse." But she had tears in her eyes as well and the two best friends hugged and cried.

"Great. Now I have to fix my makeup too!" Angela said, laughing.

Brennan smiled. "That's okay. I'm not in a rush to get inside."

"What's wrong?" Angela said automatically.

Brennan just shrugged and the two women stared at each other for a few minutes.

"What if they don't like me?" she finally whispered.

It dawned on Angela that Brennan meant Booth's family and she shook her head immediately.

"They will." Angela said firmly. "Besides you have Booth right? He will help you out. Now while you finish touching up your makeup you can tell me everything."

"Everything?" Brennan said confusingly.

"About you and Booth. How you first got together, is he romantic, how hot he is in bed, what his package is like…"

"Angela!"

"What?" Angela said, grinning. "You owe me, Brennan. You kept this secret for almost a year. That means I get to ask as many questions as I want."

Brennan saw the excitement on her friend's face and smiled. She wished she had told Angela sooner.

"Okay."

"So how hot is he in bed?"

"Hot."

"On a scale of one to ten?"

"Twelve."

At this, the two woman began to laugh. Angela opened the car door and stepped out. "Come on, let's get this wake thing over with so you can go home and ravish your husband."

Brennan stepped out of the car, smiling.

"Thanks Ange." She said, sincerely.

Angela linked her arm with Brennan's and smiled back.

"Anytime, Bren. Anytime."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So this is the end! I wanted to thank everyone for their reviews, I really appreciate it a lot! Sorry for the delay, so many things going on! Anyway, I hope you like it. I'm possibly considering a small epilogue, let me know if it needs it or not! **

She sat at the bar stool by herself, far away from Booth's raucous family. They were currently trading stories about Booth with the squints, Booth trying to intercede desperately.

At the beginning she was beside him as he introduced her properly to the members of his family. But she just didn't do families and besides, she could tell that some of them resented her for what she had done.

Drinking her tea, she thought over the day's events. The seismic shift in emotions was leaving her feeling exhausted and she couldn't wait to go home and crawl into bed with Booth.

There was a tug at her sleeve, and she looked down and saw Parker.

"Hi Parker."

"Hi Dr. Bones. Can I sit with you?"

"Sure." She patted the stool beside her but Parker surprised her by crawling on her lap.

"It looks like you two need an ice cream sundae, am I right?" Sid said, coming over to them.

"Yeah!" Parker shouted.

"Thanks Sid." She said.

As they waited for their sundae, Parker told her everything that had happened at school that week, including tales of the class fish.

Sid set the ice cream in front of them with two spoons and they both dug in enthusiastically.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Booth was listening to his brother Jared tell another story when he realized that she was no longer beside him. Twisting in his seat, he saw a picture that melted his heart. There was Bones and Parker eating out of the same ice cream dish, laughing. She tousled his hair and he watched as Parker put ice cream on her nose.

"Seeley, I was thinking…"

"Excuse me Mom." He said, cutting his mom off as he rose and made his way over to the bar.

"Hey." He said, sitting down next to them.

"Hi Daddy! Dr. Bones and I are having ice cream!" Parker said.

"I see that." He laughed, reaching over and wiping the ice cream off her nose.

"Thanks." She said shyly.

"Missed you." He replied. "Missed this."

"Me too." She said, turning to him with a sweet smile on her face.

"Hey Seeley, Hi Dr. Brennan." Rebecca said, sliding in next to them.

"Hi." They replied in unison.

"I think its about time we should go home, right Parker?"

"No." Parker said. "I want to stay with Daddy and Dr. Bones, please Mommy, please?"

"Well…" Rebecca trailed off. "If that's okay…"

"That's definitely okay." Booth said firmly. "It would be fantastic."

"Okay, you can drop him off at school tomorrow, if you like."

"Thanks Rebecca." Booth said, leaning over and giving her a hug.

"You're welcome Seeley." Rebecca replied. "We should talk, about you seeing Parker, maybe I can give you some more time…"

Booth broke out into a grin. "That would be great, thanks."

Rebecca smiled, gave Parker a quick kiss on the cheek and moved away.

"Wait!" Brennan said. She got up, deposited Parker on the stool and headed over to Rebecca. "Please call me Tempe." She said, holding out her hand.

"Thanks." Rebecca said, shaking it. "I'm glad it's you. You make him happy, you know?"

"He makes me happy too." She replied.

Rebecca just smiled and made her way out of the restaurant.

She came back and sat on the stool beside Booth and Parker, who was now situated on Booth's lap.

"Hey, are you eating all the ice cream?" she asked.

Parker let out a giggle and dove in again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was another hour and a half before they finally got moving. People had left one by one, saying goodbye to Booth, until their was only the squints and Booth's main family left. She looked down at Parker, who was sound asleep against her. It was definitely time to leave.

She gestured to Booth who nodded and turned to finish up his conversation with his brother. She slowly got up and made her way over to Hodgins, Zach and Angela with Parker in her arms.

"So we are going to go."

"Yeah, it looks like someone's ready for bed." Hodgins commented.

"Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all about Booth. I really wanted to, and I hope you know I was just doing it to protect him."

"We understand Dr. Brennan." Zach said.

"Definitely." Hodgins said. "So does that mean we are going to get a new case soon? Because that would be sweet."

"I hope so." She replied. "I hope Cullen will let us work together."

"Don't worry, I will."

She turned around to come face to face with Cullen.

"I've talked to Agent Booth and he assures me that you two can be professional despite your personal relationship, is that right?"

She nodded.

"Good. I've given Agent Booth the week off, but come Monday morning you will be working together again. And thank you once again for your discretion on this case."

"Thank you." She replied, shifting Parker in her arms a bit.

As Cullen walked away, she turned back to the squints with a smile on her face.

"Well I guess that answers that question." Angela said, grinning.

"Yeah." She replied. She was sure her own grin was pretty wide.

"What's going on over here?" Booth said, coming up to them.

"Cullen said we could still be partners." She replied.

"Yeah. He just told me." Booth said, grinning. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Okay that was just too saccharine for my taste!" Hodgins said.

"Says the man who makes out with Angela in the lab." Booth retorted.

Hodgins shrugged and they all began to chuckle.

"Well we will see you guys later." Booth said as they made their way over to his parents.

"Mom, Dad, breakfast tomorrow sound good?" Booth asked.

"Yes, that sounds very good." James said. "You'll be joining us, Dr. Brennan?"

"Umm...well…sure." she said lamely.

"We'll be there." Booth said firmly.

They waved goodbye to everyone and made it out to the car. After settling Parker in his seat, they headed off towards Booth's apartment. They were silent for a few minutes, each in their own thoughts.

"You know, if you don't want to go to breakfast tomorrow, that's okay." Booth said.

She turned away from the window. "No I do, it's just…I'm not good with this family stuff."

"You'll get used to it." He replied. "You're in a family now after all."

She smiled at him then, a smile that lit up her whole face.

Booth parked the car and undid his belt, immediately pulling her to him. He kissed her softly and she sighed.

When he pulled away, she looked at the love shining in his eyes and felt her heart beat rapidly. Flicking a glance at the sleeping boy in the backseat and then back to the man she loved, she smiled and kissed him again.

"Yeah. I guess I am."


	10. Chapter 10

**5 years later.**

"C'mon Dad!" Parker yelled as he ran down the hill.

"Okay, wait for me! I'm old you know." Booth yelled back as he began jogging towards Parker. He looked back towards his wife and daughter.

"Don't look at us." Brennan said. "We've got the picnic basket."

He jogged down the hill leaving Sophie and her to find the perfect spot. She stared at her five year old daughter and still couldn't believe she was hers. It had been a year and a half ago that she was on an excavation in Columbia. She had been examining some remains and she turned around and there Sophie was, her bright, inquisitive eyes staring at her.

Sophie had spent the rest of the day by her side, just watching her work. She had later found out she was from the local orphanage. She had called up Booth that night and although he had been incredulous at first, he was soon won over by her enthusiasm and they began the long fight for adoption.

"How about here?" she said to Sophie, pointing at a grassy hill.

Sophie nodded and they began to unpack the basket.

"Lunch time!" she shouted, waving Booth and Parker over.

They dropped down on the blanket with a huff.

"That was a good race, Dad!" Parker said.

"Yeah." Booth replied, breathing heavily.

"Getting old?" she smirked.

"Not on your life." He replied, reaching for a sandwich.

They joked and laughed and ate, both of them trying to encourage conversation out of the usually quiet Sophie. Soon Parker had grabbed her hand and they were off and running towards the playground, leaving Booth and Brennan to themselves.

"So," Booth said, leaning back against the tree and pulling her close. "Having a good time?"

"Of course." She replied. "And don't think I don't know that you're up to something. I know perfectly well what today is."

"And what is today?" he asked, tickling her side.

"You tell me first." She said stubbornly.

He grabbed her and flipped her, tickling her furiously.

"Stop it…stop it.." she said, tears of laughter running down her face. "Fine. Our anniversary."

They had never been one to celebrate their anniversary, last year both of them forgot, but this year was different. It was five years after all.

"So do you want your present now or later?" he asked, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

"Depends on what it is." She said huskily.

Immediately his lips captured hers, causing her head to spin and her heart to pound.

"Oh that part of the gift will definitely be later. As for the first part of your present, I think I will give it to you now."

"Yours is at home." She said. "Just so you know."

"You got me a present?" he asked. "Oh how the tides have turned. Temperance Brennan, she who hated presents, both giving and getting, now has pushed aside her past beliefs to…"

"Oh be quiet." She interrupted, smacking him on the arm.

He just smiled at her and reached into his pocket.

"It's been five years, so you should accept this, regardless of all your anthropological reasonings." He said, holding out his closed fist.

She watched it carefully and then gasped when he opened it, a small diamond ring sitting in the palm of his hand.

"I told you I'd buy you a diamond." He said, holding it out.

"Booth, I…"

"See, the stones around it are all of our birthstones, Sophie included. It's our family."

"Thank you." She said, still making no move to reach for it.

"Here, can I put it on?" he asked.

She nodded and held out her hand as he slipped the ring on.

"I remember when you told me you were going to buy me one." She said, recalling the events of five years previous. "I thought you were going to leave me then."

"Not going to happen." He said, kissing her forehead as he pulled her close.

"I know." She replied, snuggling into him. "I knew back then like I know now, I could never be here without you."


End file.
